Jesus Ain't No Doormat

Growing up, I always pictured a gentle and meek Jesus. A man who turns the other cheek, heals the sick, and loves children. But that's only one part of who he is. The more I get to know him, I now see another facet of Christ- as a strong and powerful warrior. In Matthew he said, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." One of my favorite pictures of Christ is him walking through a crowd that was ready to throw him off a cliff (Luke 4:30).

There are many examples in the Bible where Jesus seems a bit harsh, much different from the usual depiction. A man wanted to say goodbye to his family before he left to follow Jesus and was told, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Another time, Jesus said to his friend Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." When Jesus saw the temple being misused, he drove the money changers away by making a whip and overturning tables.

I begin to picture Jesus more like the Incredible Hulk or a UFC fighter. He has high standards, and rightly so. After all, he died a painful and horrible death so that we could be saved. Not so we could have a nice house, lots of money, and no worries. Too often we are more concerned about this life, when we should be concentrating on the next one. Sometimes, I need a good confrontation when I'm screwing up or not doing the right thing. Here are some Jesus quotes that really hit home:

Anyone who loves _fill_in_the_blank_ more than me is not worthy of me.

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. (FYI-If you are reading this, you are rich. If you are reading it from your iPhone...)

Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

It's interesting that Jesus mostly taught through parables. The first one, Parable of the Sower, is a great read. Check it out in Matthew 13. I believe he does it to see who is truly seeking him. There are a lot of pretenders who say they believe in God, but live like he doesn't exist. (If this sounds like you, please read The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel. And no, I don't get any commission from supporting the book.)

There are so many times when I take my eyes off of Christ. Trouble or persecution comes, and I lose my focus. Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." He doesn't promise us a smooth ride during this lifetime. But he does promise a safe landing.

I watched a UFC fight a while back. One of my favorite fighters beat his opponent. It wasn't an easy fight. He was bruised and banged up. But afterwards this tough man walks over, picks up his daughter, and hugs her. This is how I picture Christ. He could've quit. Had angels take him down from the cross. But he didn't. Jesus didn't tap. He is reaching out to those who would call on his name. Have you responded? Have you put your trust in him? Have you given him your whole life? There's no better time.

Happy Easter!

The F Word (Part 5)

The Ultimate Forgiveness

The man who stole my debit card is guilty. There has to be a punishment for his crime. He should be in jail. But what if I stepped in? What if I took his place in a jail cell? What if I was the one separated from my friends and family as he walked around a free man? Do you think it would change him? Or would he continue on in his ways?

Jesus did this for us when he went to the cross. We are guilty of our sin. We broke (and continue to break) God's laws. Because He is a holy God, there has to be a sacrifice. But Jesus stepped in and took the punishment instead. He was beaten and whipped while we walk around free. He died so that we could live forever with Him. Having knowledge of this, do you allow it to change you? Or do you continue on in your ways?

God's mercies are new every morning. He gives us chance after chance. "But don't be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." ~Galatians 6:7-8

God is the ultimate judge. He knows the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Unfortunately, there are many who have deceived themselves. If your life looks like the rest of the world, you should be nervous. God didn't call us to conform, but to transform the world. His kindness should us to repentance and to action. My prayer for you is that during this Easter season, you look at all God has done for you. And your only response is to fully surrender your life to Him.

The F Word (Part 4)

There are consequences to your actions. Some are harsh while others may be very mild, depending on the behavior. I like justice. When I was younger, I wanted to be a judge or supreme court justice. (They get summers off too.) But God made me a teacher instead. So here I am.

The man who stole my debit card is still running around. He hasn't had to call and change card numbers. He doesn't know all the effects of his actions. Admittedly, when someone wrongs me or my family, I want them to pay. I want them to know and feel the pain or emotional damage they have caused. But the offender cannot always repay you. Sometimes, they appear to get away with it. Or they only suffer mild punishment. It just doesn't seem fair.

Yesterday I ended with a verse. The part that spoke to me the most was to "get rid of all bitterness." Bitterness is like a weed in your garden. If you don't uproot it, it can keep growing and choke out other healthy plants. Ignoring it won't work. Cutting away only the top part (the part others can see) does not take care of the problem either. It's in the roots. It's the part that no one else sees but you. You may appear like everything is fine, but is it really? Get rid of all bitterness.

"If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you." ~Proverbs 25:21-22

When I first came across this scripture, it made me laugh. Literally, dumping burning coals on my enemy sounded like a good idea. But after studying it more, I discovered other meanings behind it. The Message Bible translates it as, "Your generosity will surprise him with goodness." My translation--You will help him to see a godly response rather than a worldly reaction.

Tomorrow, we'll finish by looking at the ultimate forgiveness. Thanks for reading!

The F Word (Part 3)

So we've talked about the first step to forgiveness--praying for the person. Now what?! Sometimes people ask, "Am I supposed to be best friends with them now, do I just forget what they've done, do I let them continue to hurt me?" And my answer is "No." There's a big difference between forgiving someone and condoning the behavior. You were called to be a disciple, not a doormat. You also were called to love, not loathe. In 1 Corinthians 13:6, it says love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

There are various levels of love depending on how deep the hurt is. Some relationships can be fixed just with simple communication. But with others it can be a long and difficult journey of getting through the pain (emotional or physical) that was inflicted upon them. Love comes in different forms. I don't know your situation, but hopefully you can relate to these. Maybe for you, you need to talk to the person face to face. Talk to them about how they've hurt you, but also let them know you forgive them. Maybe loving someone means not giving them the evil eye whenever you see them. It could be that you don't take your frustrations out on friends who are close to that person. Maybe it means walking away from another conflict with them. Or not bashing them over the head with a golf club (not that I've ever had that thought before). Maybe it's praying for them to turn their lives around.

It's not always an easy road. But if you take one step at a time, you'll be farther ahead and better off than if you just sit in the dirt and feel sorry for yourself.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. ~Ephesians 4:31-32

The F Word (Part 2)

Many times over the Bible talks about forgiving others because God forgave us. It's a lot easier said than done though. It's not just saying the words, "I forgive you." There has to be a change in the heart. We forgive others because we need it. It's not really about our relationship with the offender. It's about our relationship with the Creator.

As I was thinking about the person who stole my debit card, I started getting self-righteous. I mean, in the midst of serving others, and he had the nerve to steal from me. The nerve! And then I thought of the many times I have robbed God. Robbed Him of glory that I took for myself. Robbed Him of money that belonged to Him in the first place. Worshipped idols of comfort and popularity rather than Him. Repeatedly disobeyed and denied Him.

Jesus said that no one is good except God. No one. What if God had said, "Ok Kim, you blew it. That was the last straw. I'm done with you." Luckily, that's not who God is though. He's not waiting for you to mess up so He can inflict punishment on you. His mercies are new each morning. In Isaiah 43:25, He promises to remember our sins no more and says that He does this for His own sake. Again, this shows us that it's not about the offender. It's about our relationship with Him. How do you want God to treat you?

As we talk about forgiveness, I'm sure that you are picturing someone or a maybe a few someones. Who is it that you need to forgive today? And where do you start? From my experiences, I've found that prayer is a good beginning. Praying for the offender does something for my own heart. You probably won't feel like it, but do it anyway. It's like taking your garbage out. It needs to be done even though you may not feel like it. And if you don't, then bad odors start to arise. It's time to take out the trash.

The F Word

Last week, I got my debit card stolen right out of my purse. So I've had to renew my mind more than usual this week. Like every time I had to retell the story. While I was fuming and thinking about all the ways to hurt this person, I kept thinking about the F word. Not that one! I'm talkin bout Forgiveness. It's the F word you hear at church every once in a while, but what does that really mean? Miles Paludan just gave an awesome message on the subject. He said everything I was going to say, but so much better than I could articulate. Go check it out. Seriously. I'm not joking. Do it now!

http://www.lifechurch.tv/message-archive/watch/red-letter-day/2

This week I'll be blogging about some other stuff that Miles didn't cover in the message. So stay tuned.

Ukraine, You Crazy

So I'm going to Ukraine this summer. I'm not sure how it happened. I'm not sure where the money will come from. But I know it's supposed to happen.

I finished reading the book Crazy Love. (I'll be starting a book study over it soon.) The last chapter is about taking the info you learned and applying it to your life. So I had this convo with God.

Me: Ok God, what do you want me to do with this stuff?
God: You already know.
Me: Umm, I do??
God: You remember doing the Chazown study (your life vision)?
Me: Yeah, but I dunno. That was like 4 years ago. Is it even still relevant? I mean, helping kids in orphanages seems like a far-off idea.
God: (silence)

The next day I go to the Union (Worship night at Lifechurch). There's was a guy Paul who works with international missions. And he just happened to be in town this week. Paul was there to talk about a mission they are taking in the summer to Ukraine. During the trip they spend time with orphaned kids, loving on them and teaching them about Christ. So I have another convo with God while Paul was speaking.

Me: God, is this what you want me to do?
God: What do you think?
Me: The trip is on July 21st, isn't it?
Paul: ...So we're leaving on July 21st and coming back on August 4.
Me: Ok God. I hear ya.

(Note: My grandma's birthday is on the 21st. I was already planning on taking a trip in remembrance of her. It's the first birthday she'll be celebrating in Heaven.)

I like that God can be blunt sometimes. I don't always have to guess or pray for God's direction. It's right there in my face. The hard part is in the obedience.

Me: If you want me to go, then you'll take care of the money issue, right?
God: Have I ever let failed you when I've led you to do something?
Me: Good point.

I Need Some New Clothes!

Last week was rough. I was more tired, cranky, and worn out than I've been in a while. Then God interrupted my pity party.

Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. ~Colossians 3:12-14

Notice it says Put On Love. God is the essence of love. He doesn't wake up in the morning, eat his cereal, and put on a shirt, pants, and love. He already is. We, however, have to put on love daily. Some days it's easy to forget though. If you wake up late, get cut off in traffic, or have to deal with difficult people, it's normal to do what everyone else is doing. Complain and blame. But God calls us to a higher standard. Put on love. Forgive. Turn the other cheek. Your reward is in Heaven, not on earth. It's like flossing your teeth. You might not feel like doing it, but you know it's the right thing to do.

Love is NOT a feeling. It's an action. It's something you choose. What would the world look like if we started to radically show love. Not as a conditional, worldly, whats-in-it-for-me love. (Note: I'm not talking about being a doormat and continuously letting someone abuse you while you keep turning the other cheek. We'll discuss that later.) But an unconditional, I'm-free-to-love-because-God-loved-me-first, crazy love.

So this week I'm purposefully putting on love each morning. Lemme tell you it was not easy today. I think God was testing me out a little. But that's how I get stronger. It's like lifting weights. Small resistance develops the muscle, and over time you can lift much more than you could in the beginning. I'm probably starting out with some 2lb weights, but they feel like 20lbs at the moment. Hopefully, by the end of the month, they will seem weightless because I'm growing stronger each day.

So my question is this? What are you putting on each morning: bitterness, unforgiveness, depression, pride, apathy, impatience? Sometimes, even as Christians, we try to fake it by putting on the Jesus is my Homeboy T-shirt. But are you really living like it? Jesus said that people will know my disciples if they love one another. Maybe it's time for some new clothes.